News Center newsletter

Ione Lenora Rema was born in Albert Lea, MN, the daughter of Andrew Cornelius and Hilma Cornelia (Larson) Christianson. She grew up in Allamakee County, attended rural Fan School, and was confirmed at Old East Paint Creek Lutheran Church, Waterville.

December 3, 1949, she married Norman Rema at Little Brown Church in Nashua. After living six years at Elon, Norman and Ione moved to Center Township where they operated a dairy farm, and raised crops, hogs and chickens. After retiring from farming, Ione worked part-time at Homestead, The Uptown Motel and Waukon Living Center.

Michelle Leslie Lamphier gave up her courageous fight with ovarian cancer one week before her 60th birthday (May 31, 1961-May 24, 2021) at Mercy One Hospice in Mason City. It is her wish for no more grieving, so we would like to invite her family and friends to a “Celebration of Life” in her honor Saturday, July 17 at 2 p.m. at Green Valley Getaway, located at 78 16th Avenue NW, Waukon.

She leaves two sons, Benjamin Timothy and Michael John, both of Omaha, NE; her sister, Jenny (Dennis) Bockhaus of Nora Springs; her brother, Mike Lamphier of Lisbon; her nephew, Tony (Kaitlyn Nelson) Bockhaus of Webster City; and an incredible group of family and friends who shared the journey with her. She was pretty proud of her “village”.

She talked of her reunion with her parents, Harry and LaVonne Lamphier; her grandparents, Joy and Bonnie Lamphier and Lester and Clara Pollow; as well as other family and friends she missed.

Kathryn Stortz, age 88, of Waukon passed away peacefully Friday, June 4, 2021 at Northgate Care Center in Waukon surrounded by her family. Funeral services will be held Saturday, June 12 at 11 a.m. at St. Patrick Catholic Church in Waukon with Fr. John Moser officiating. Friends may greet the family prior to the service from 10-11 a.m. at the church. Kathryn’s ashes will be buried at Mt. Olivet Cemetery, rural Waukon at a later date.

Kathryn Mary (Schulte) Stortz was born November 2, 1932 in La Crosse, WI.  The daughter of Andrew and Catherine (Griffin) Schulte, Kathryn was baptized at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in Waukon. She attended country school at the Howard School in Makee Township through the eighth grade. Kathryn went on to attend St. Patrick’s Catholic School in Waukon through her junior year; and graduated from Waukon High School in 1950.

Wilbur LaVerne Wilson, 83, of Waukon died Monday, May 31, 2021 at University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics in Iowa City. Gathering of family and friends is scheduled for 4-7 p.m. Thursday, June 10 at Shores Event Center, 700 16th Street NE in Cedar Rapids. Inurnment will take place at the Iowa Veterans Cemetery in Adel.

Wilbur was born January 6, 1938 in Manchester, the son of LaVerne and Gladys (Fisher) Wilson. He attended Buck Creek School and at the age of 13 moved to Waukon, where he graduated from high school in 1956. Wilbur served in the U.S. Army from 1960 to 1964. He was married to Diane Svec, and they later divorced.

He is survived by his children, William (Cindy) Wilson and Bonnie (Jim Mitchell) Tarker, both of Cedar Rapids; his grandchildren, Halas and Denton Wilson; and his sister, Virginia (Verne) Svec. He was preceded in death by his parents; and his sister, Betty Wilson.

Dominick R. Damiano, 72, of Waukon died Friday, June 4, 2021 at his granddaughters’ home in Waukon. Please join his family, Michael (Karla) Damiano, Tami (Mike) Tschudi and Nicoel (Rick) Damiano and his grandchildren, from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday, June 12 for a Celebration of Life at the Allamakee Event Room, 108 Second Street NW #101, in Waukon.

Condolences can be sent to his daughter, Nicoel Damiano, at 922 Fourth Street, Lot 23, Waukon, IA 52172. Martin-Grau Funeral Home in Waukon is handling the arrangements. Online condolences may be left at www.martinfunerals.com.
 

Charles “Chuck” Tryon, age 72, of Oelwein passed away March 16, 2020 at the Edgewood Convalescent Home in Edgewood. A graveside service with full military honors was held Saturday, May 29 at Strawberry Point.

Charles was a veteran of the U.S. Air Force. He worked as a die setter for Northern Engraving in Waukon for many years.

A Celebration of Life memorial service for Beverly Bartlein is scheduled to be held Sunday, June 13 at New Life Christian Church, located at 12 Seventh Avenue SE in Waukon. Born June 8, 1931, Beverly passed away April 20, 2020.

The service will begin at 1 p.m. Masks will be available at the door.
 

Steven L. Mitchell, 56, of rural Blair, WI, formerly of Waukon, died Sunday, May 30, 2021 at his home. A graveside service was held Tuesday, June 8 at Oakland Cemetery in Waukon with Pastor Kim Gates officiating. Martin-Grau Funeral Home in Waukon handled the graveside service.

Steven Lyal Mitchell was born January 31, 1965 in Waukon to Ray and Lorraine (Schellhammer) Mitchell. He was baptized and confirmed at the Rossville Presbyterian Church in rural Waukon and graduated from Waukon High School and NICC in Calmar.

Steve worked as a mechanic for Rodger Honne’s garage in Waterville, Leadfree in Waukon, Jim’s DX in Waukon, Trosinski Trucking in Galesville, WI and La Crosse Truck Center, where he was still employed. Steve was an avid football and basketball fan.

The Veterans Memorial Health Care Foundation’s 28th annual Three Person Best-Shot Golf Tournament will be held Monday, June 21. The tournament will be held at the Waukon Golf and Country Club beginning with a shotgun start at 9:30 a.m.

Thanks to Wade Bucknell and Andy Moore, agents of Farm Bureau Financial Services, Waukon, the first person hitting a hole-in-one during the first round at the tournament will be awarded a new Harley-Davidson motorcycle.

Also, thanks to Waukon Implement, anyone hitting a hole-in-one during the second round at the tournament will be awarded a new John Deere riding lawn mower.  As always, many other gifts and prizes will be awarded to all the golfers participating.

Teams of three will play 18 holes of golf. Breakfast rolls, lunch and dinner and prizes for everyone are all provided for the donation of just $75. All those interested are asked to pre-register their team by calling the Waukon Golf and Country Club at 563-568-9939.

Since Veterans Memorial Hospital is a health care facility, masks are still required to be worn by every patient and visitor to the hospital. Masks  are effective against the COVID-19 virus and should be worn by everyone not vaccinated at all other locations that are non-health care related. At this time, the Centers for Disease Control does mandate that even those vaccinated must wear masks at all health care facilities.

According to the CDC, once an individual is fully vaccinated for COVID-19, they can resume activities they did prior to the pandemic. Fully vaccinated people can resume activities without wearing a mask or physically distancing, except where required by law or regulations, such as a health care setting.

Those who haven’t been vaccinated yet are urged to find a vaccine. Being fully vaccinated begins two weeks following a second or final COVID-19 vaccination. Keep using all personal protective tools until that two-week wait time has expired.